Sheet Feeding Apparatus Tray Rotation Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional manual sheet feeding apparatuses face limitations in accommodating and feeding a large number of sheets due to constraints in their configuration, leading to unintended lifting and rotation of the sheet stacking tray, which can disrupt the stacked sheets and affect feeding performance.
Innovation Solution
A sheet feeding apparatus with a tray unit that is rotatable and equipped with a moving portion and a restricting portion to control the movement and rotation of the sheet stacking member, preventing unintended lifting and rotation by using a locking portion that interferes with the moving portion when the tray is opened, ensuring stable sheet feeding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If the sheet stacking tray is made rotatable to accommodate more sheets, then the number of stacked sheets increases, but the tray becomes more prone to unintended lifting and rotation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by providing a restricting portion that proactively prevents unintended lifting and rotation of the sheet stacking tray before it can disrupt the stacked sheets. The restricting portion interferes with the moving portion's movement when the tray is in the opened position, creating a counter-force that stabilizes the tray during sheet stacking operations.
2Ease of operation
If the tray unit is opened to allow sheet access, then sheet feeding operation is enabled, but the sheet stacking tray becomes unstable and may lift unexpectedly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by creating a conditional restriction system where the restricting portion only interferes with the moving portion when the tray unit is in the opened position. This allows the tray to be stable during sheet stacking operations while still enabling easy opening and closing of the tray unit for sheet access, adapting the constraint dynamically to the operational state.
3Manufacturing precision
If the moving portion is made movable to adjust sheet stacking height, then feeding accuracy is improved, but unintended lifting and rotation of the tray occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary element - the restricting portion - that mediates between the moving portion's movement capabilities and the tray's stability requirements. The restricting portion acts as a mediator that allows controlled movement for feeding accuracy while preventing harmful unintended lifting and rotation by interfering with the moving portion's full range of motion when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a sheet feeding apparatus including: a tray unit provided rotatably with respect to an apparatus main body; a sheet stacking member which can be moved to a stand-by position for waiting for sheet feeding and a feeding position at which a sheet can be fed; a moving portion which abuts against the sheet stacking member from below and to move the sheet stacking member to the feeding position and the stand-by position, the moving portion being movable to a first position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the stand-by position and to a second position at which the moving portion locates the sheet stacking member at the feeding position; and a restricting portion which restricts movement of the sheet stacking member by interfering with the moving portion located at the first position when the sheet stacking member moves.